'Project Runway All Stars' premiere bumped to next year by Lifetime

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/14/2011

Project Runway viewers are going to have to wait at least a couple of months longer to see the show's all-stars edition.

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Lifetime has announced it is bumping the debut of Project Runway All Stars -- which the network had previously scheduled to premiere on November 3 -- to sometime in 2012. Lifetime did not specify a reason for the delay or when in 2012 the season will now premiere.

Project Accessory, a newProject Runway-like reality competition that will feature 12 contestants designing fashion accessories, will replace Project Runway All Stars in the Thursday 9PM ET/PT time period the all-stars edition had been scheduled to air in.

Project Accessory was previously set to air on Thursdays at 10PM ET/PT immediately following Project Runway All Stars beginning November 3. As part of the change, Project Accessory will also now premiere one week earlier on Thursday, October 27 at 10:30PM ET/PT (immediately after Lifetime's broadcast of the finale of Project Runway's currently-airing ninth season) before settling into its regular time period beginning November 3.

According to Lifetime, the fact the network considers Project Runway All Stars "a completely separate show" from the regular Project Runway series is why Klum, Gunn, Garcia, and Kors will not be a part of the all-stars edition, which the network first announced in early May.

Despite the absence of the fourProject Runway veterans, Project Runway All Stars' format will remain similar to the franchise's regular format and feature 13 returning contestants competing for the new panel of fashion experts who will offer the designers "a fresh perspective on their art, providing counsel and insight," according to the network.

The winner of Project Runway All Stars will also receive a grand-prize package that is significantly larger than that ofProject Runway's normal package: the opportunity to sell their exclusive collection in select Neiman Marcus Stores and on NeimanMarcus.com, $100,000 worth of technology and office space from HP and Intel, a $100,000 cash prize from L'Oreal Paris, a feature spread and one-year assignment as guest editor for Marie Claire, and a sewing and embroidery studio provided by Brother International.